1 June 2021: Enjoying the holiday vibes in our hometown…

1 June 2021: The latest figures on the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium show a continuation of the positive trend set in recent weeks. There are currently 1,220 COVID-19 patients being cared for in Belgian hospitals; of those hospitalised 443 are on intensive care wards. During the week from 22 to 28May an average of 1,765 people in Belgium tested positive for the coronavirus. This is 26% down on the figures for the previous week. The reproductive rate for currently stands at 0.82 and nearly half of the adult population (49.8%) has received the first injection of a coronavirus vaccine. Meanwhile, the EU and Belgium are both aiming to finalise their certificates to facilitate free movement within the union before 1 July, but three conditions for travel already seem certain. Travellers will have to show the country they are entering that they pose no – or at least a limited – risk of infection, by showing that they (1) have been vaccinated against the virus, (2) have a recent negative PCR test, or (3) have been infected in the past, and are therefore immune. I’m wondering how these measures will work in practice. Hopefully we will know more after 4 June when the government is meeting to finalize the modalities for leaving and entering the country. Meanwhile, the sunny weather is bringing the holiday vibes back to our hometown – Ghent, Belgium.